Prediction of creep failure life for unidirectional CFRP with heat-resistant epoxy resin as matrix exposed to high temperature under tension load

The accelerated testing methodology (ATM) developed by the authors is the methodology for predicting statistically long-term life of CFRP structures based on the viscoelasticity including the time-temperature superposition principle for matrix resin. The formulae of ATM are expressed as the product of static strength at room temperature, its dispersion, and the viscoelastic parameter of matrix resin that changes with time and temperature history. This methodology ATM was applied to the prediction of long-term creep failure life for unidirectional CFRP with heat-resistant epoxy resin as matrix under heat degradation in this study. Resin impregnated CFRP strands with heat-resistant epoxy resin were molded using a filament winding system as virgin specimens of unidirectional CFRP. Then, heat-degraded specimens were prepared by exposing the virgin specimens under acceleration conditions determined based on the time-temperature superposition principle for chemical deterioration assuming the condition of practical temperature 110 degrees C and period 10 years. Second, the creep strengths of virgin and heat-degraded CFRP strands were statistically predicted based on ATM and the effect of heat degradation on the long-term life of CFRP strands was evaluated. As results, it was cleared that when the creep strength of CFRP strands undergoes thermal aging at the practical condition, in addition to the strength decrease to time due to the viscoelasticity of the resin, a comparable decrease in static strength and increase in this scatter occur.